§ Mr. Alan CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of lottery funding for projects in seaside towns. [131321]
§ Estelle MorrisMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not made any recent assessment of lottery funding specifically for projects in seaside towns. However, since the introduction of the National Lottery Act 1998, and changes to policy directions, distributors have increasingly focussed on areas of social and economic deprivation, including seaside resorts. The Government remains committed to ensuring that all parts of the country should have access to lottery funds. Many areas, suffering wider social and economic deprivation, need extra support to develop and put in applications of a quality that will succeed. The National1048W Lottery Funding Decision Document, published in July, contained proposals to make it easier for communities to access lottery grants.